Press Release by AGDW
Precise verification requirements and targeted relief for more effective implementation of the EUDR in line with calls for a reduction in bureaucracy
Carl Anton Prinz zu Waldeck, Vice President of the European Confederation of Forest Owners (CEPF) and member of the AGDW Executive Committee comments on the amendment to the EU regulation on deforestation-free supply chains (EUDR) proposed by Christine Schneider MEP of the European People’s Party (EPP) as follows:
“AGDW expressly welcomes the amendment to the EUDR and supports the proposed adjustments. These are not only a significant relief for forest owners and authorities in countries without deforestation risk, but also promote an effective and targeted implementation of the EUDR, which is focused on the most urgent problem areas. This is in line with the goals of EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who wants to focus more on reducing bureaucracy and simplification during her new term of office. The demands of 18 EU member states for a more practical and less bureaucratic application of the regulation are also taken into account here.
The introduction of a clearly defined zero-risk category for countries in which no deforestation has taken place since 1990 will reduce the documentation requirements for forest owners in these regions. These countries undergo a strict EU review process, which ensures both compliance with local forest protection laws and the actual absence of deforestation. Transparent monitoring is thus guaranteed and the relief is limited to countries that demonstrably pose no risk of deforestation.
By specifically simplifying the procedure in countries without deforestation, more resources can be dedicated to the enforcement and control of the EUDR in high-risk regions. This strengthens the effectiveness of the regulation by concentrating supply chain monitoring capacity where it is most needed. The proposal is also WTO compliant. It provides an incentive system that motivates countries worldwide to strengthen local forest protection laws and thus strive for inclusion in the zero-risk category – an effective contribution to climate and biodiversity protection.”
Forest owners welcome this pragmatic adaptation of the EUDR as a step towards targeted de-bureaucratization, which nevertheless ensures control and transparency of supply chains and thus serves the long-term goals of the EUDR.”
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